While your business IT is running smoothly it’s easy not to worry about it, but when there is a problem, you’ll regret not having professionals to manage IT issues as – or even before – they come up.
Hiring someone to professionally manage your business IT means your staff can continue working at what they do best and leave the IT management to the professionals.
It also means that many of the problems you’re used to seeing won’t be occurring anymore since a managed services provider will work proactively to prevent issues rather than react to problems after they’ve already happened.
Of course, not all Managed Services Providers (MSP) are equally qualified so we have put together a list of 8 services that an MSP should offer before you consider hiring them for your business IT management.
1) Maintenance and Support; Go Local
For much of the work, location won’t matter, but when you need on-site maintenance and support you’ll be glad they’re nearby.
2) Support
You’ll want a Managed Services Providers that provides support to your employees quickly and remotely. When your employees are struggling with your business IT, precious work time is wasted; the sooner it is up and running, the sooner your employees are back to being productive.
3) 24/7/365 and Quick
Even if your business doesn’t require staff to work around the clock every day of the year, your computer network needs to. In order to make sure that happens, the people who manage IT for your business also need to. It is equally important to know they have a fast, and possibly a guaranteed, response time when business IT problems do come up.
4) Cloud and Backup Services
One of the big advantages of using an MSP is knowing your data is secure. Make sure the provider you hire to manage IT services for you is backing up your data to a remote server consistently and automatically.
5) Testing and Monitoring for Security/Maintenance
Cybercriminals and hackers pose a real threat to your business IT network. Your MSP should run regular tests, constantly monitor and perform regular updates to guard against them.
6) Vendor and Tool Experience
Managing the myriad of vendors who provide service and support for your business IT can be a time-consuming task. Your Managed Services Providers should have a partnership, or be familiar with, the vendors and tools you currently use to manage IT.
7) Planning for Disaster
In the worst case scenario you will need your business IT up and running more than ever. Whether you’re hit by a fire, a tornado or an intruder, your MSP should be able to develop a plan that ensures your business IT network will be back up and running as quickly as possible.
8) Planning for the Future
As experts in their industry, your provider should understand what’s coming next in the world of business IT. They should be able to use this knowledge and their expertise to help you develop an annual budget for your future business IT needs.
A good managed services provider can lead to greater efficiency, increased security and significant cost savings within your business IT network – especially if you hire the right one.
Detroit IT has been providing managed services, computer and network support since 1997 in Southeast Michigan. We have the best people working with the right processes to allow us to deliver the best business IT solutions to our clients.
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